Hi.

Mar 2 THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF BEING A MAKEUP ARTIST

Thou shall keep skills relevant- Knowledge is power and keeping our minds open keeps us on our toes and our mind sharp with product and technology changing constantly. Instagram may be here today, gone tomorrow. What will you do if that's the only way you've been relevant?

photo by Sonia Roselli

2. Thou shall be willing to mentor - Be willing to help the next generation of artist get on the right path to success.

3. Thou shall be professional- Whether it is your clothing, your demeanor, your speech, or your attitude. You are your brand and should represent your brand in its best light. Even on social media, "Manage your brand".

Tearing down others on social media Facebook groups is not a good way to manage your brand. You never know who is watching you. And may even cost you a job.

4. Thou shall be gracious – Being appreciative and thankful goes along way in our industry. And a lot of our work comes from word of mouth not just from clients, but from photographers, other makeup artists, stylists, producers, and hair stylists. If you are a diva, chances are no matter how talented you are, you may not get work. Some of the most successful working artists have the perfect combination of talent and graciousness.

6. Though shall have a clean kit - It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it needs to be clean and that means your brushes. Know how to work in a sanity way to not only keep your kit clean, but your models comfortable and not fearing that they will be taking something extra home!

7. Thou shall be on time - I know that sometimes it is completely unavoidable, but there’s an old saying, if you are early, your're on time, if you are on time, then you are late. Try to aim to be the first person on set, not the last.

8. Thou shall not fake it till you make it - Know when you are in over your head and know when you need to either walk away or refer someone who is qualified to do the job. Not only are your jeopardizing your reputation if you screw up or don’t deliver, but you're potentially costing the client money if they have to redo it. If you cost someone money because of inexperience, they will NEVER hire you again. And they will tell their creative director friends not to hire you either. Be prepared. Your future depends on it.(Read our article on "How to Become a Real Makeup Artist")

9. Thou shall have a good network of other working artists – Not only is it good to have other artists artist that you trust to refer work to when you are busy, but also to help you out when you are stranded, sick, etc. Long standing clients will usually appreciate it and will still call you. This leads me to……

10. Thou shall have a moral compass and integrity - It’s a big reason why many artists DON’T discuss their rates. Don’t undercut. Don’t befriend other artists to find out who their clients are. Don’t steal other people images and try to pass them off as your own. Don’t go on artist’s websites and start contacting the people listed on their client list or resume, etc. It says a lot about you as a person and it shows lack of respect to your fellow artists. Don’t be shady, gurl!!!!!

By now you have probably noticed that most of the commandments have nothing to with the artistry of our industry. That is really only a small percentage of what goes into being makeup artist, don'tcha ya think?

Do you have any commandments you would like to add? Leave a comment below! We would love to hear from you!